You may have heard of using lemon balm for preventing and treating cold sores. And it’s great. We know it’s helpful from a long history of traditional use as well as from research studies. But lemon balm’s not the only game in town.
Chronic stuffy sinuses may be due to allergies, diet, infection, or structural issues in the airways. More than one of these may be at play for some folks. When the mucus is clear, the issue may be related to allergies, diet, or chronic low-level infection. Acute infections are most often viral, which means that antibiotics won’t work.
For anyone who gets a herpes cold sore from time to time (medically known as Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1)), you know how unpleasant this ailment can be. These sores show up on the lips/mouth and can be quite painful and unsightly -- and are highly contagious. Along those lines, this means no smooching (the biggest reason I dislike having this virus), no sharing food or drink with friends and loved ones, and also generally means feeling low-energy and rundown.
As a writer, and as a health enthusiast, I have learned about a great many supplements, treatments, and healing modalities in my lifetime.
Some really effective herbal medicines are in the kitchen, and here in Part 1 are my favorite uses for myself and my clients. In Part 2 next week, we’ll flip things around and look at culinary uses for medicinals typically neglected in the kitchen. You can geek out more on how to use kitchen herbs and spices for health here and here. Remember that quality counts .
Lemon balm, also called Melissa officinalis and “the Herb of Good Cheer,” has easily become one of my favorite herbs in the past year. It tastes like a mellow, citrus-y herb (exactly what you would expect from something called “lemon balm”) but what I love most is that it’s an “all-in-one.” Not only is lemon balm calming for your nerves but it also has powerful healing properties and is especially helpful for killing viruses and lowering inflammation. Here are just some of the many benefits of lemon balm: